http://www.sigar.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf

Latest in a series of quarterly reports on U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, especially the effort to rebuild the Afghan Security Forces and to prepare for the August 20, 2009 elections. From the Office of the Special Inspector General

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40699_20090714.pdf

Provides information on the types and amounts of foreign assistance provided to Afghanistan by the U.S. since 2001, the agencies providing the assistance, and what the agencies are doing in Afghanistan. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40682.pdf

Describes, analyzes, and estimates the number of troops deployed for each war from the 9/11 attacks to FY 2012 to help Congress assess upcoming DOD war funding requests as well as the implications for the long-term U.S. presence in the region. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40614.pdf

Provides a general background on the types of international agreements that are binding on the U.S., discusses historical precedents as to the role that security agreements have taken, and concludes with an assessment of the oversight role that Congress plays in U.S. implementation of international agreements. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R40586.pdf

Discusses how elections in four strategic countries could reshape regional dynamics and complicate or advance U.S. policy goals in the Middle East. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=921

Looks at the possibility of using nonmilitary means as part of a coordinated strategy to achieve American aims in Central Asia. From the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1203881.pdf

Attempts to identify the key characteristics of 13 priority Muslim communities in England including those from Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Aims to determine where the Muslim population is located, its size and demographic characteristics, the level of social infrastructure for each group, and how the government can best engage with them. From the Communities and Local Government Department of the United Kingdom.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09473sp.pdf

Identifies Afghanistan as an urgent oversight issue for Congress. Reviews previous GAO reports on Afghanistan and underlines current issues. From the Government Accountability Office.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Afghanistan-Pakistan_White_Paper.pdf

Press release on the Obama Administration's policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan with regard to use of military forces, strengthening local governments, strengthening the Afghan security forces, promoting Afghan-Pakistani cooperation, breaking the link between narcotics and the insurgency, and soliciting greater support from U.S. allies. From the White House.

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=911

Argues that provincial reconstruction teams should play the dominant role in reconstruction and counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan during any period of troop surge. From the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College..

http://library.usip.org/articles/1012134.1066/1.PDF

Describes the current political crisis over elections in Afghanistan and how it can be traced to lack of an agreement over who has the power to resolve constitutional disputes. From the United States Institute of Peace.